INDUSTRY BRIEFS

U.S. FEDERAL COURT in Billings, Mont., ordered Balco Inc., Williston, N.D., to pay a $1 million fine for violating federal rules protecting groundwater. The court ordered Balco to stop injecting saltwater at pressures that could cause fractures and contaminate groundwater. The court said during 1988-91 Balco injected wastes without a permit or authorization from the Environmental Protection Agency. COMPANIES CHEVRON CORP.,